Wayne Rooney signs up for Manchester United until June 2019 for £85m
The news provides a major boost to David Moyes during what is proving a difficult first season as manager following Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, with United 11 points from a Champions League berth, The Guardian reports.
After so much talk about Rooney leaving Old Trafford Moyes was ecstatic to keep hold of the striker. "I am thrilled that we have got Wayne Rooney to stay," the United manager said. "He has been fantastic. Everyone would want him in their team. There were clubs who did want him. There were clubs who would have wanted him [had he not signed a new deal] but there was never going to be a chance he was going to leave Manchester United, certainly not on my watch."
Although Rooney had been determined to leave last summer for Chelsea after falling out with Ferguson, the forward is once again enjoying his football under the former Everton manager. He described suggestions that he had demanded a say in transfers and the captaincy before signing his new contract as "laughable and untrue".
"I am made up to be staying at United. In August I will have been at the club for 10 years and during that time I have played with some fantastic players and won everything that I hoped I would when I first signed," Rooney told United's website. "I now have the chance as one of the club's senior players to help the younger players coming through and to be a part of another great United team."
Despite the prospect of the club not being in next season's European Cup, Moyes said that persuading the 28-year-old to re-sign was not a difficult sell.
"He knows by the way I train, by the way I work, by my determination to succeed, that I won't allow this to go the way it is. I'll make changes if it doesn't improve," the manager said.
Rooney himself said: "It's not a massive concern for me. I know the direction that this club is going in, and if we don't make it this season then we will come back stronger and claim a Champions League spot next season. Let's not forget we still have a chance this year, some of the other teams are playing well but we have a strong squad here and if we have a positive end to the season then who knows what can happen."
After Juan Mata's arrival in January for a club record £37.1m Rooney's renewed commitment will give further impetus to Moyes' rebuilding process in the summer. "Part of the rebuilding [process] is making sure that you keep the players you really want to keep.
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